Prepared Statement Regarding Primates at the New Iberia Research Center

Recent media coverage of a lawsuit filed by a former employee at the
New Iberia Research Center has brought information to light which brings
into question the appropriateness of veterinary care and animal
treatment at this facility.

In response to this incident SAEN has launched an investigation into
the NIRC facility. We have requested copies of all active research
protocols as well as all primate necropsy reports regarding animals who
died at NIRC. We have also requested copies of all internal inspection
reports for the NIRC facility.

However, we have come into possession of records relevant to one
small part of the colony at NIRC. Apparently the National Institute of
Neurological Disorders and stroke maintains a breeding colony at NIRC.
This breeding colony of rhesus monkeys is comprised of 131 animals.
However, this breeding colony was recently enlarged to include 65
chimps, 7 squirrel monkeys, and one gibbon. According to NINDS documents
these animals were “just being housed.” And apparently since there was
nothing better to do with them, they were added to a monkey colony that
had been created due to a purported shortage of rhesus monkeys. If these
73 animals are not being used in any real way then they should be placed
in a sanctuary where they can live out their lives in peace. We are
already aware of one primate sanctuary who will take in the lone Gibbon
at NIRC.

We have also come into possession of post-mortem records for 15 of
the rhesus monkeys who were part of this 131 member colony until their
death. Necropsy findings of the 15 NIRC Primates included:

1/3 of these animals were so emaciated at their death that they
had little or no body fat.

Over 1/3 of these animals had severe gastro-intestinal tract
diseases.

Several had suffered from trauma.

One rhesus monkey was killed by sedation.

Another perished as a result of aspiration pneumonia.

Another primate died of heat stroke.

Many of these deaths smack of negligence on the part of NIRC staff.
It is clear that pathological conditions in these primates are allowed
to continue, causing substantial suffering to the primates, until they
have reached an unacceptable endpoint. It is also very disturbing that
the majority of the rhesus monkeys who were necropsied were 3 years of
age or less. None of these animals are over 7 years of age. This is
extremely disturbing since captive rhesus monkeys can live to be as much
as 35 years old.

Additionally, the record keeping associated with these animals
appears to be haphazard and in some cases the symptoms do not appear to
match the cause of death, or no real cause of death is delineated.

While this is a small number of the total of 6000 primates housed at
the New Iberia Research Center, these documents indicate sloppy and
inadequate veterinary care as well as insufficient observation of these
animals. Diagnoses appears to be done only post mortem, and in the
documents relevant to these fifteen animals only once is any pre-mortem
therapy mentioned.

We will release further information as it comes to light. We
sincerely hope that the NIRC facility will comply with our document
request. We believe that the public has a right to know the truth
regarding the conditions within this huge facility. Though I must say
that, in light of the data from this small sample of animals, I am
afraid of what we will find.